Extensible canopy



- May 17, 1949.

R. 1.. CAMPBELL EXTENS IBLE CANOPY I I Filed Jan. 20, 1947 o '6 H Ill-Hml E Z I 3nventor @ichardLLaqzpbeZZ.

Patented May 17, 1949 EXTENSI'BLE CANOPY melanin. 'oainpben, aitefi'iil,ivfo. nii licatriin' restart 20, 1947', serial N6. 723,063

4 Claims.

'This invention renter to canopies designed primarily for use at airports for the protection; ini hcleihent weather, of persons arriving ordeparting by plane.

The object is to produce a structure of the type indicated which isadjustable in length to accommodate variable distances between the doorof an air terminal or hanger and thepiane.

Another object is to provide a structure", comprising a longitudinallyextensible member having- 'a stepped platform at one end and a sheltermember at the other end; the shelter element being ofcap'acity to'c'ompletely'house the extensible member and the steppd platform member,when the former is fully retracted. I

A further object is to provide the extensible member with a flexiblewaterproof c'ov'er having at the end adjacent the stepped platform; anex tension covering the platform member and adjustable for usetoapprbximate parallelism'with the rise of the platform steps to provideheadroom ear passengers on thest'eps and platform.

A still further object is to provide a canopy structure characterized astartan, and provided with roller or equivalent supports to facilitatebodily shifting from one pqint of service to another at the air terminalor station.

More specifically, my object is to produce an extensible and retractibleelem'ent composed of a series of arch frames andlaz-y tongs connectingcorresponding inner sides; or legs of thearch frames, and a flexiblecover draped over the tops and outer sides of said frames to afford fullprotection to persons passing to or from a plane, the flexible coverbeing secured firmly to the arches to resist detachment or ballooning inwindy weather, but free between the arches and folclable therebetweenwhen the structure is retracted by collapsing of the lazy tongs toeffect approaching movement of the arch frames.

With the objects named in view and others as will hereinafter appear,the invention consists in certain novel and useful features ofconstruction and organization of parts as hereinafter described andclaimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is tobe had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a canopy structure embodying the invention, as extended orelongated for use, one end of the structure appearing in verticalsection to expose certain parts otherwise hidden.

Figure 2 is an enlarged View taken of the end of the canopy structure,for juxtaposed relation to a door of an air terminal or hanger.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary viewpartly in side elevation and partly incentral longitudinaLeI-e vation', showing the extensible member partlyextended and in cooperative relation with a land-j. ing, stepplatfjormmember; and afabric cover collapsed and loweredoverthe step platformsufficiently for entranceof the platform W thin extensible portion inthe shelter, as shown in gu a d, .t. l.

Figure l is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal t n on the i .IV o Fiure. .9 the 5 tachable connection; between the,. e i ipansible-,retractible member and shelter member of the ca y a o co r hereqt, dfih wa a hook for anchoring the shelter member to a n e o t l er H Referringnow to the drawing in detail, re, corresponding parts are identified, bysi ilar reference characters, in all of the views, I; indiat a erie of,r hfr es,c ns t n Pia ably of still? metaltubes, and the legs of rmesare equi ed w th a uesmer entrs 2.0 the ik T e meannes o th lee intsf t a ent ar h immer e e req 'eeee ed 19y la t e e m? imi arerqpqlft q st ..ma ,.n, i il ea 'e I In paral l. ro swise. re rd es .e w t i en e eoapseqer expanse nd n lse la se r. ei'pene eithel i im posing the archframes to provide a jstruct minimum or maximum length rspectiv Suchretraction or expansion of the structure may be effected by an endwisepressure or pull thereon, and requires but small force because of thecaster supports or rollers.

At one end of the series of arch frames, a step platform 4 of light butstrong character mounted on wheels or casters 5, is provided tofacilitate ingress and egress to or from an airplane (not shown)disposed for the convenience of the passengers, and said step-platformis equipped adjacent the lower step, with a stationary arch frame 6rising to the height of arch frames I, and connected by a break-joint orfoldable connection I at each side, to the adjacent arch frame I, orlazy. tong elements, like elements 3, may be employed for suchconnection. At the rear of the landing 4 of said platform, a similar buttelescopic arch frame 8 is mounted, being vertically adjustable toprovide headroom for passengers upon the landing platform, or fordepression when the structure is to be stored, to the level of the archframe 6, set screw 9' or the like, being provided to secure thetelescopic arch in elevated or depressed position.

At the opposite end of the series of arch frames from the step platform,is a shelter member or element In of tunnel form. To detachably securethe extensible frame within the tunnel member It], said member If! isequipped with inwardly projecting horizontal eye bolts Illa throughwhich the ends of bolts II attached to the endmost arch frame I areextended and secured by nuts Ha, see Figures 2 and 4. The shelter memberis of capacity, by preference, to contain the entire series of archframes when fully collapsed, and the platform member, provided thetelescopic arch frame 8 is in lowered position. The shelter member ismounted on casters l2 and adapted by hook equipment [3 or otherconventional detachable connections, for anchorage to the terminalbuilding or hanger (not shown), to provide the resistance required whenthe structure is to be extended to span the space between the shelterand a plane. The attachment also holds the shelter member stationary forretractive action, or it may be held by manual force if disconnectedfrom a hanger or the like. The shelter member may be attached to thearch frame within it, and the latter directly connected detachably tothe terminal or hanger, if desired, as an alternative arrangement.

To complete the expansible structure, it is provided with a canvas orequivalent, and preferably waterproof cover I 4, of length to cover allof the arch frames when the structure is expanded to full length. It issecured to all of the arch frames by eye-bolts and nuts I5 as indicatedat a few points, or by cords (not shown) and collapses between the archframes when the structure is of reduced length or when fully collapsedfor storage or other purposes. A single awning structure of the typeexplained may be utilized to service a number of planes, as it can berolled for bodily shifting when collapsed or expanded, to the positiondesired.

From the foregoing description and drawing, it will be apparent that Ihave produced a canopy possessing the features of advantage set forth asdesirable in the statement of the objects of the invention, and while Ihave described and illustrated the preferred embodiment, it is to beunderstood that I reserve the right to all changes falling within thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A canopy comprising an extensible and retractible member, andplatform and shelter members connected at opposite ends of thefirstnamed member, the latter when fully retracted and the platformmember being enclosed by the shelter member, the extensible andretractible member having an attached flexible waterproof coverextensible and retractible with it, and an extension covering theplatform member, the platform member having an arch adjustableVertically to provide the cover member with headroom over the platformor to sustain the cover over the platform at a height to enter theshelter member.

2. An airport canopy comprising an extensible member, a shelter memberand a step platform member connected together in alinement, theextensible member being composed of a series of parallel upright arches,lazy tongs connecting the arches, and a flexible waterproof fabricdraped over the top and sides of the arches and connected for extensionwith or collapse by corresponding adjustment of the arches, theextensible member having a cover extension overlying the platformmember.

3. An airport canopy comprising an extensible member, a shelter memberand a step platform member connected together in alinement, theextensible member being composed of a series of parallel upright arches,lazy tongs connecting the arches, and a flexible Waterproof fabricdraped over the top and sides of the arches and connected for extensionwith or collapse by corresponding adjustment of the arches, theextensible member having a cover extension overlying the platformmember, the platform member having an arch for vertically adjusting thecover extension relative to a height exceeding or less than that of theshelter member.

4. An airport canopy characterized as in claim 3, and provided withcaster roller supports.

RICHARD L. CAlWPBELL.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 659,114 Voorhies Oct. 2, 19001,834,796 Mourceau Dec. 1, 1931

